Breastfeeding in third world countries, and why we boycott Nestlé

In less economically developed countries (LEDCs), using infant formula over breast milk contributes to health problems and deaths in infants for three major reasons:

Loss of natural benefits from breast milk.

Formula mixed with contaminated water.

Formula over-diluted in order to save money.

Nestlé makes infant formula, and campaigned heavily to promote it in LEDCs as superior to breast milk. Mothers were duped. In just one generation, many towns were converted from being fed almost exclusively by breast milk to being fed almost exclusively by formula (this is something Erinne learned when researching this problem, but I do not have a citation).